Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Finding new bricks to match the old bricks

' The following photographs show two typical original bricks (found loose and) taken from Hostel 33, and matched samples obtained from Corobrick Centre in Somerset West (off N2, next to CTM Tiles).

As far as I can tell, the exposed original bricks range between the two found samples, red to orange. The advice from Corobrick Centre (Mark Bonthuis) is that the original are plaster bricks (r.o.k / NFP/ stock brick), and that the sample bricks are the closest match that they have.

As you can see in the photo, the orange colour is more difficult to match, but the immediate problem is the size: the samples are (A) 73mm Autumn Paver, (B) 7MPa Yellow Plaster Brick, (C) original orange brick, and (D) 12MPa Red Foundation Brick.

My opinion is that we use the 14MPa Red Foundation Brick which is more hard wearing, and thereafter decide if we need to bag and paint, or leave it as it is.'

William Martinson has suggested that we investigate if there are not any other independent brick yards in the area. He thinks that a small coal fired operation might even be able to make a small batch to the correct dimensions.

Find out more about the Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum

Lwandle Museum receives awards two years running - click on image for more.

Lwandle Museum is Western Cape Province's 'Museum of the Year' for 2010, and in 2009 it recieved the award for 'Best Tourism Attraction of the Year'. According to MEC Garth Strachan (pictured here with Board Member Mr E. Nyongwana and Curator Lunga Smile) this was the first time a township based tourist attraction had recived such an award.

Hostel 33 on the Museum Tour - click on image for details of the walking tour.

About Me

Noëleen is an architect and academic. She has served as a member of the Board of the Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum since 2002. She is currentle a Research Fellow at the Centre for Humanities Research at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. The restoraton of Hostel 33 at Lwandle Museum is the primary research focus of her Fellowhsip.